


Going Bush

by torturingtaylor (itzaimster)



Series: Going Bush [1]
Category: Hanson
Genre: Gen, Hostage Situation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-13
Updated: 2013-01-12
Packaged: 2017-11-25 07:02:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 38
Words: 19,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/636342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itzaimster/pseuds/torturingtaylor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set back when it was written in 2004, the Hanson brothers take a well deserved break from touring with a lonely camping trip in the deserted state forests North of McAlester's OSP. As luck would have it, two death row inmates with nothing to lose manage to escape in the meantime and find a vulnerable Taylor on his search for firewood. What follows involves one of the brothers being put out of commission early on, and the other beginning a tireless race to find Taylor before he can be used as leverage over the authorities.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 01

**Author's Note:**

> As a warning before you start - the sequel is three times as long.

“Isn’t this great?” Zac spun around, his eyes glistening in the reflection of light from the nearby river.  
Isaac just smiled knowingly as he meddled with one of the tents.  
“I don’t think we could have found a better spot,” Taylor agreed, looking around.  
“Yeah well, you know the reason they let us come here. Because no one else does,” Isaac attempted to remind them, “and I don’t know about you two, but I doubt I’ll be getting much sleep tonight.”  
“But you’re such a worrier,” Taylor pointed out.  
“Warrior Ike!” Zac exclaimed, saluting.  
Isaac stood up.  
“At ease soldier.”  
“Thank you, dearest brother.”  
Taylor rolled his eyes as he began to set his own tent up.  
“Come on Zac, set yours up. It’s gonna get dark pretty quickly tonight,” Isaac warned, having almost completed his.  
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get to it. I wanna go fishing.”  
“Not tonight Zac, there isn’t time. Plus, there’s bound to be more out in the morning.”  
Zac huffed childishly, before grabbing the makings of his tent and studying them carefully. Isaac began to help Taylor with his, so he could get it done quicker.

*

“Ok guys, we know where the nearest ranger is, don’t we?” Taylor began later on.  
“Yeah Tay. The station is a few hundred yards that way,” Isaac pointed off into the bushes, “and one of the guys goes down that far track every hour or so. We should be fine. Just relax, it’s what we’re here for.”  
“And yet you were the one freaking out,” Zac chuckled, finishing his tent off.  
“I was not freaking out, merely stating a fact.”  
“A fact that pin points you as a worry-wart and possibly paranoid freak?” Taylor offered.  
“No…”  
“Then what?” Zac grinned cheekily.  
Isaac hesitated before opening his mouth.  
“As someone who is taking precautions for their own well being, as well as that of their immediate family,” he grinned.  
“Ok Ike, we get it,” Taylor held his hands up in surrender, “so what can we do?”  
“It’s almost sundown already,” Zac whined, kicking some dirt away.  
“Well let’s think about nighttime activities,” Isaac rubbed his hands together.  
“Ghost stories,” Taylor immediately grinned.  
“Tay, don’t you think we’re a bit old to…”  
“Bug hunting!”  
Isaac hesitated.  
“Ok, that just tops it. I stand corrected Tay. My apologies.”  
“And we’re not going bug hunting,” Taylor insisted.  
“Ruin all my fun,” Zac huffed.  
“Wanna start a fire?” Taylor looked up at Ike.  
He considered it, and finally gave his consent. It was finally sunset.  
“I don’t want us staying up too long,” Isaac began as Zac began fetching firewood.  
“Ok Daddy,” he replied.


	2. 02

The night was peaceful, and in the early hours of the next morning the brothers were found fishing by the bank of the thin river. Well, two of them. Zac had been sent for more firewood, as it was a freezing cold morning.  
He returned with a few armfuls not long afterward.  
“Any luck?” he called, coming down to the bank.  
“A bit,” Taylor nodded to one fish beside where he was sitting.  
“That’s mine,” Isaac called.  
Taylor chuckled.  
“Yeah, it’s his.”  
“But you’re gonna share, right?” Zac raised his eyebrows.  
Isaac just gave him a weird look.  
“Just checking.”  
Once they’d cook the two fish Isaac ended up catching, Taylor noticed the firewood running low again.  
“Hey Zac, firewood,” he indicated the pile.  
“What am I, a woodpecker? You get it. Work some muscle into those bones,” he joked.  
“I think that’s about as much muscle as he can get,” Isaac teased.  
“Thanks guys,” Taylor smirked, standing up.  
He threw some fish bones down, and then headed off in search of wood. Zac lay back to relax, as Isaac continued enjoying the fish.

*

Carefully making his way through the scrub, Taylor kept a watchful eye out for any dead branches or fallen trees. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to uproot one.  
After walking quite a way (in only one direction, he didn’t want to get lost out here) he soon came across a fallen dead tree. With a grin, he bounded toward it and began pulling the numerous branches from it and throwing them into a pile he could carry.  
Suddenly, he thought he heard the bushes rustle behind him. He turned sharply, but there was no sign of anyone or anything. Shrugging it off, he got back to work.  
But the sound came again. This time, Taylor frowned.  
“Zac?” he scorned, “come on man. I’m doing you a favour here. If it weren’t for me doing this you’d end up freezing your butt off.”  
No reply.  
Taylor hesitated and bit his lip. He stood up and scanned the surrounding trees, trying to see any sign that his brother had been there. Sighing, he shook his head, then bent down to pick up the pile he’d created.  
Suddenly, he heard a footstep behind him, and before he could turn around an arm made it’s way around his waist, the other covering his mouth.  
Taylor cried out, and dropped the pile of wood to try and push whoever had him away. Zac was so dead… Then he realized the height difference of the person who had him.  
Hesitating with confusion, the ‘grabber’ had time to take Taylor’s right arm and twist it behind his back, before pushing him forward so he was lying against the tree.  
“Get him,” ordered a gruff voice.  
Taylor’s eyes widened as he heard a second person’s footsteps approaching. The grabber suddenly released his hold on Taylor’s mouth, to pull and twist his other arm back.  
“HELP! SOMEBODY! IKE! ZA-!”  
The second person clamped their hand over his mouth instead with a deep growl.


	3. 03

“What was that?” Isaac’s head snapped up at the sound of Taylor’s voice.  
He and Zac listened closely.  
“I don’t hear anything.”  
“Nah,” Isaac shrugged, “it was probably Tay. Might be on his way back finally.”  
Zac nodded his agreement, before they went back to what they’d been doing.

*

Taylor struggled as the larger of the two men held him down, the other going to see if his cries had alerted anyone.  
“Alright, we’re clear,” he announced, coming back.  
Taylor tried to pull his arms away again, unsuccessfully.  
“Swap clothes with him,” the gruff voice ordered.  
“Why?” the man asked as Taylor froze.  
“So you can go into the streets. I hardly think what you’re wearing would be appropriate.”  
Taylor had noticed that both of the men were wearing prison uniforms. That’s what Isaac had been so worried about… there was a prison only miles away. These two must have just broken out, which was exactly what his brother had been afraid of.  
“Ok,” the second man finally agreed, already taking his shirt off.  
Taylor’s eyes widened as he tried to cry out again, shaking his head.  
“You don’t have a choice in the matter,” the gruff voice snarled.  
The second man threw his shirt aside.  
“Need me to hold him?”  
The first man hesitated, as Taylor began to look frantic.  
“No. He’ll do it,” he finally said, shoving Taylor forward between the two.  
Taylor hesitated, not expecting the sudden release. He looked between them, frightened.  
“Strip,” the second man instructed.  
Taylor shook his head, looking around. They were beside the tree, so there was only one way to run. Forwards. He bolted.  
“Hey!” the younger man yelled after him, taking off in pursuit.  
Taylor glanced over his shoulder as he darted between trees, trying to space the distance between them. Unfortunately, the man turned out to be quite a runner, and was slowly catching.  
“IKE?!” Taylor cried again, “ZAC?! GUYS HELP!”  
He changed direction slightly, trying to head back to where he thought the camp would be. There was now only about ten metres between the two runners, and Taylor knew he was gaining. He finally came to a sort of clearing, only to come face to face with the man he’d run from. He was quite a large man, with a beard and bald head.  
It only took a second for him to stop in shock before he was tackled to the ground. He struggled with the younger man for a moment, before the bald man stepped in and managed to pin him to the ground by his shoulders.  
“Get off me!”  
“Settle,” the man insisted, as the younger one began to pull Taylor’s clothes from him.  
It didn’t take him long before they’d switched clothes, and Taylor was out of breath from struggling. He was soon face down on the ground again, the bald man holding his hands behind his back. He looked up at his accomplice.  
“Check his camp. We might find something useful,” he suggested.


	4. 04

“Please don’t touch them,” Taylor begged desperately as they drew closer.  
“Nate, go on. I’ll keep him,” the bald man instructed, trying to get a better hold on Taylor’s wrists to try and stop him twisting them.  
‘Nate’ nodded, and took off towards the camp keeping an eye out. The man who had Taylor covered his mouth again in case he decided to warn his brothers.  
When Nate got to the tents, he heard Isaac and Zac’s voices off in the distance, so decided to be quick. He went into one of the tents and began to look around.

*

“So you think that was Tay after all?” Zac asked suddenly, as he and Ike continued walking in the direction Taylor had headed earlier.  
“Well he should have been back ages ago. TAY?!”  
“TAYLOR?!”  
Isaac shook his head.  
“Where the heck is he?”  
“Who knows,” Zac shrugged.  
They continued looking.

*

Before Nate returned, Taylor had been taken further away ‘just in case’.  
“Here,” Nate said, dropping a bag in front of them.  
Taylor twisted again before the man lost it and kneed him in the stomach. Taylor cried out and fell to his knees.  
Nat grabbed the back of Taylor’s shirt while the bald man looked through the bag. He pulled out some plastic bag ties.  
“These’ll do for now,” he nodded.  
Taylor looked up as he made his way over. The man kicked him down onto his stomach again, two ties in his hand. With Nate holding him down, the man twisted Taylor’s arms behind him again and tied his wrists to his elbows… leaving his arms crossed behind him. Taylor gulped when he realized what he’d used, knowing they couldn’t be removed unless they were cut.  
“What else have you got?” the man asked Nate, before going back to the bag.  
Nate didn’t reply, rather waited while he went through it all. The man soon pulled out a flannel, and some silver gaffer tape.  
“Perfect,” he grinned, eyeing Taylor.  
Taylor looked up, his eyes widening.  
“No, no… ZAC?! IKE?!” he tried calling again as the man began towards him.  
Nate held his head as the other man shoved the cloth into his mouth, then ripped off some tape to cover it. It was soon done, and Taylor gulped.  
“That’s better,” the man said, standing up.  
He pulled Taylor up with him.  
“Let’s get going,” Nate insisted, and began walking off.  
Taylor looked over his shoulder, back in the direction of the camp.  
“Don’t even think about it,” the buff man grabbed his arm at the elbow and pulled him along.  
They made their way further into the bush.  
“So, where are we going?” Nate asked after a while.  
“Wherever the road takes us.”


	5. 05

“What was that?” Zac stopped and looked over his shoulder.  
Isaac stopped to listen.  
“I can’t hear anything.”  
Zac put his hand up, and took a few steps to the side, listening intently.  
With a sigh, he shook his head.  
“I could have sworn I’d heard something.”  
“What direction?”  
Zac pointed off to the side. Isaac nodded.  
“Well, we could head that way. I don’t think he would have come this far.”  
“Nah,” Zac shook his head, “but it beats me how we’ve lost him.”  
“He’s probably back at the camp waiting for us,” Isaac grinned.  
Zac raised his eyebrows.  
“Yeah… typical.”

*

The three soon lost track of time as they paced through the bush, but eventually came across a farm. Nate went ahead to see the land structure, soon returning with the information.  
“Ok, we’re at the North end of a huge wheat field. There’s a small barn to the left, and the farmhouse is a few miles that way,” he pointed.  
The other man – who still had hold of Taylor’s arms – nodded his approval.  
“Looks like we have a place to spend the night then, don’t we?” he smiled, directing the statement at their prisoner.  
Nate grabbed the bag again, and began to lead the two down a slope and toward the small barn. They soon found it, and Nate broke the door open. The barn smelled of horses, but there were none there. Obviously either at the farmhouse itself, or recently having been transported out.  
Once inside, the larger captor threw Taylor down into a corner, and began to look through what supplies were available to them. Taylor groaned as he sat back against a wall, having hit his head on the way down.  
“Close the door,” the man ordered.  
Nate did so, flipping a large bolt into place so it couldn’t be opened from the outside.  
“If I remember right, there should be a town a few miles away from here. The other side of the farmhouse,” he offered, rubbing his hands together to keep them warm.  
“Then you should probably go and find out, shouldn’t you?”  
When Taylor opened his eyes again, he saw the other man handing Nate a large knife.  
“Just find us some food and supplies. Cash and clothes if you can manage it.”  
Nate saluted.  
“You’re talking to an expert in that field, as you know,” he smiled.  
He headed for the door, glanced at Taylor as he unbolted it, then slid through. The other man bolted it shut behind him, then went back to the small counter where a number of tools lay openly. Taylor watched him silently, panting slightly.  
“This is only a temporary arrangement,” Taylor jumped as the man spoke.  
He turned to him.  
“We shall only need you as leverage. Then, depending on your behaviour until such a time, you will either be released or killed. The second seems more likely. It’s nothing personal.”


	6. 06

“Well, he’s not here,” Zac sighed, frustrated.  
Isaac frowned and scratched his chin.  
“Ok. I say we wait a while, and then…”  
“How long?”  
“…I don’t know. Not long. Then go and tell the ranger. You never know, one of the patrols might have seen him.”  
“Unless they’re in on it.”  
“Well if they are, then they’ll give us no reason to worry, will they?”  
Zac hesitated, his hands on his hips.  
“Good point.”  
Isaac grinned.  
“Of course it is. Look, I’ll time it. Ten minutes then I go tell the ranger.”  
Zac just shook his head and disappeared into his tent.

*

It was well over an hour before Nate returned. At first, Taylor thought someone had found them, but when the second captor made for the door the hopes soon diminished.  
“What did you get?”  
“Clothes, cash…” Nate grinned, “defense.”  
The second man snatched the bag Nate was carrying, as Nate turned to bolt the door again. He threw the bag onto the bench with the tools he’d been sifting through, and opened it. Reaching his hand in, he pulled out a wad of money.  
“Nice huh?”  
“Good,” he nodded.  
Nate glanced at Taylor, before following the man to the bench.  
“I took a guess at your size man,” he began, pulling out some clothes, “looks pretty much right.”  
They rustled around for a moment in silence, before the older man stopped, and pulled another large knife out. He looked it over, before Nate pulled out a gun.  
“Where did you get that?”  
“I happen to have contacts not far from here. Don’t worry, they don’t know where we are or what we’re doing. They didn’t even know I’d been busted,” Nate shrugged.  
“And they just gave this to you? For nil?”  
“Let’s just say the guy owed me a favour.”  
Nate threw the gun onto the bench and stepped into one of the stable areas.  
“You should probably get across the border within the next day or so,” Nate began, shifting some of the hay around.  
“I shall. Will I have company?”  
“I think I’m going to stay in the state,” Nate shrugged, sitting down on the hay he’d stacked into a corner, “the boys should keep me safe. You have contacts, right?”  
“Not in this state.”  
“Why the hell did they bring you this far anyway?” Nate frowned.  
“En route to capital punishment. I was shifting out next week with Jo and Lesky.”  
Nate nodded, glancing at Taylor. Taylor hurriedly turned away, avoiding eye contact.  
“And what are we doing with him?” Nate indicated him.  
“He stays with us. When we split, he’ll come with me. If he survives that long.”  
Nate nodded his approval as Taylor closed his eyes.


	7. 07

“This is crazy,” Zac declared suddenly, “we need to go to the ranger.”  
Isaac ran his fingers through his hair and stood.  
“Alright.”  
“What, no argument this time?”  
Isaac hesitated, but shook his head.  
“If he were coming back, he would have by now. And the stuff that’s missing… I don’t see why he would have taken it. There’s just no logical reason for this.”  
“Apart from…”  
“Shut up.”  
Isaac shut the tent up and began up the nearby gravel track. Zac got up to follow.

*

“How long do you want to be here?” Nate asked eventually.  
“Not long. They’ll be scouring this general area. And we’ve got to keep that kid and the uniform out of sight.”  
Nate nodded with a yawn, settling down into the hay.  
“Do I have time to catch some Z’s, or are we moving?”  
“Well if we sleep now, we’ll be able to keep going all night. I’d prefer that option.”  
“Are you staying awake or what?” Nate raised his eyebrows.  
The bald man glanced at Taylor, then the door.  
“He won’t be going anywhere. And no one will be coming here. We should be fine for an hour or so.”  
“Ok.”  
Nate lay down into the hay and closed his eyes. The bald man managed to go through everything they had with them before slipping into the stable and also settling down. It wasn’t long before soft snoring was heard, and Taylor took to eyeing the door.

*

“How long has he been missing?” the ranger Isaac and Zac had pulled over asked.  
“Hours. He just went to get some wood for a fire cos it was freaking cold this morning. We haven’t seen him since,” Zac insisted.  
The ranger looked between them for a moment, before picking up his radio and tuning in.  
“Anyone there? This is Peters. Come in base.”  
“This is Copeland. Hello?” came a crackled reply.  
“Morning Lou. Have we seen the middle Hanson brother around anywhere? The blonde one?”  
Zac rolled his eyes as Isaac folded his arms.  
“Not that I know of. But did you hear about the escapees?”  
Isaac’s eyebrows shot up. The ranger hesitated.  
“How many have we got Lou?”  
“Just two. A Nathan Devereux and Bernard Holmes.”  
“I’ll keep a lookout. Over.”  
“Over and out.”  
The ranger put the radio down.  
“Do you think that they…” Zac began, shaking his head.  
“Let’s keep focus,” Isaac took a deep breath.  
“I think you boys should be ok out there, but if you want to bring it in as a precaution…”  
“Well I for one don’t feel safe with a couple of escaped criminals out there,” Isaac said.


	8. 08

It was rather hard to be silent when you’re trying to move over hay. As Taylor soon found out. Nevertheless, he continued with what he was doing.  
He eventually managed to get to the door, and stand up. Here was the tricky part. He only had one hand to work with, which happened to be his left, and the bolt in the door was heavy and rusted.  
He kept his ears tuned for any movement in the stable area as he felt for where the bolt lay. Slowly, he began to push it across, millimetre by painful millimetre. Until he felt the door swing slightly.  
He quickly thought back to when the door was last open. He couldn’t remember if the hinges would squeak or not. Praying silently, he swung the door out a little, thanking the Lord when there was no sound.  
He quickly and quietly slipped out of the door and managed to somehow close it behind him. He didn’t bother trying to get the bolt back in – they’d notice he was gone before they noticed that.  
At least it was still daylight.  
He squinted a little as the sun hit his eyes, then slipped around the back of the small hut. He tried to be silent until he was well away from it, so that his footsteps wouldn’t awaken the escapees.

*

“Don’t even think about it.”  
“I’m not waiting around Ike. What if he just got lost or something?”  
“Zac, you’re staying right here,” Isaac insisted firmly, “you’re not going out there with those… criminals on the loose.”  
Zac frowned frustratedly and sat back, folding his arms across his chest.  
“I want to go and look for him.”  
“I know you do. And I want to as well.”  
“Then why don’t we?”  
“Because- ZAC! Just can it already! You’re not the only one worried!”  
“I’m not worried. I’m frustrated because we can’t do anything. Well we can, but for some reason you’re stopping us.”  
Zac stood up.  
“Where are you going?” Isaac demanded.  
“Outside. I need some fresh air.”  
Without another word, Zac disappeared. Isaac’s eyes followed his brother, before he leant forward and put his head in his hands.

*

It didn’t take much for Zac to sneak out. Not everyone there at the station knew who he was, and didn’t know they were supposed to be watching out for him. Taking one last look around, Zac jumped a rail and disappeared into the surrounding bush land.  
He honestly had no idea of where to look, so he headed back in the general direction of the camp.

*

He must have had the right idea, because that was exactly what Taylor was doing. It was hard for him to remember the way – especially in reverse – simply because of how scared he’d been. Not to mention how scared he was now, knowing they’d most likely come after him.


	9. 09

It wasn’t all that long before Isaac realized that Zac had disappeared. Grumbling to himself a little, he pulled out his cell phone, hoping that Zac hadn’t gone too far out of range.

*

Zac almost jumped out of his skin as he heard his phone ring.  
“Damn it.”  
He snatched it from his pocket, chanting to himself in the hopes of remembering to put it on silent when he got off talking to… whoever it was.  
“Hello?”  
“Zac?! Where the-?”  
“I told you Ike. I said I’d go looking for him. You just decided to trust me at the wrong time,” he shrugged.  
“Why I ought to…”  
“Ike, cool it. I’ll let you know if I find anything.”  
“Call me. Hourly. If not I’ll be calling you, and if I don’t get an answer I’ll have the army out after you.”  
“Yeah, yeah…” Zac hung up.

*

Taylor froze. What was that?  
It sounded like someone’s phone. And that was a familiar ring tone…  
Zac?  
He gulped slightly, hoping he was right, before beginning to head in that direction.

*

It was Zac’s turn to freeze. He was sure he could hear footsteps. And they weren’t that far away either.  
He found a rather thick tree trunk and quickly ducked behind it. They were footsteps alright, and they were getting closer. Eventually, he saw the vague shape of a person in the thrush, before the light hit their face.  
“TAYLOR?!”  
Taylor’s head snapped up, trying to catch sight of him. Zac practically bounded toward him, slowing only when he saw the state his brother was in.  
“Holy crap… what happened to you?” Zac frowned, ripping the tape from Taylor’s mouth.  
He spat the cloth out, before taking a few deep breaths.  
“They… they wanted to take me as a hostage,” Taylor blurted.  
“I figured something like that when I saw what you were wearing,” Zac looked him up and down.  
“Yeah, yeah… Can you get these off me?” Taylor turned slightly.  
Zac eyed the cable ties and gnawed his bottom lip for a moment.  
“Oh wait! I snagged one of the pocketknives. That should do it.”  
He reached into a pocket and drew it out, before cutting Taylor free.  
“Thanks Zac.”  
“I knew I should come looking for you. Ike didn’t want me to, but I figured…”  
“That was pretty stupid Zac,” Taylor insisted, “you really, really shouldn’t have. What if…?”  
“Ah! Not ‘what if?’s. I found you, and that’s all that matters,” Zac said, “now let’s go.”


	10. 10

“Where’s Ike?” Taylor asked, rubbing his face worriedly as they began to head in a direction to the right angle of where he’d come.  
“He’s at the ranger station, where I’m taking you. You just keep going straight-“  
A sudden blast rang through the air, and Zac stopped mid sentence as Taylor almost jumped out of his skin.  
“What was that?!” Taylor exclaimed softly, looking around warily.  
The blast had seemed so close.  
Zac grabbed his arm, before he started to cough.  
“Zac?” Taylor frowned, looking down as his brother hunched over.  
That’s when he noticed him clutching his chest, and the blood that was seeping from between his fingers.  
“Oh no, ZAC?!” Taylor cried, following his brother to his knees.  
Zac then fell onto his back, and Taylor pulled his hand away to get a look at the wound.  
“Oh… oh my God,” he breathed, his eyes wide.  
Instinctively he began to apply pressure to the wound.  
“Zac? Zac? Hold on, please,” he pleaded, shaking his head, “come on man, I’ll get you to the station. They’ll call an ambulance. You’ll be fine. Zac? Zac?!”  
“I’m afraid that’s not entirely true,” came a new voice.  
Taylor froze, his eyes widening instantly. Zac continued to choke. Taylor heard the sound of a gun arming behind him.  
“Get him.”  
Taylor felt rough hands on his shoulders, as Nate pulled him up and away from Zac.  
“Who’s this? A friend?” the larger of the two men indicated Zac on the ground, raising an eyebrow at Taylor.  
“He’s… he’s my brother. Please, let me help him,” he almost cried, trying to get to him again.  
Nate held him back and Taylor cringed.  
“He should be dead in a few minutes. Best you don’t worry about him. Now, where were we…?”  
“No, ZAC?!” Taylor practically screamed as they had to literally half drag him away.  
Zac couldn’t reply, the taste of blood in his mouth. He managed to roll onto his side in time to see the three men disappear from sight, before coughing blood onto the ground.  
He slowly managed to reach for his phone, and he slowly dialed for Isaac.  
Hearing him pick up, he tried to say something.  
“I… Ike? I’ve been shot,” he managed to croak out.  
“Zac?!” came Isaac’s worried voice, “where are you? Where’s Taylor?”  
“They… have, him,” Zac managed to get out, “back… to… camp. Help.”  
With that, he fainted.

*

“Hello? Hello?” Isaac fretted on the other end of the phone line.  
“What’s happened?” came a constable’s voice, noting Isaac’s obvious distress.  
“My brother’s been shot,” Isaac said seriously, turning around, “please, call an ambulance. He’s somewhere between where we were camping and here.”  
“Certainly,” the constable nodded, then rushed to organize something.  
Isaac bit his lip, remembering what Zac had said about Taylor.  
At least Taylor seemed fine. Zac was the one he had to worry about now.


	11. 11

Tears were streaming down Taylor’s face by the time they returned to the barn.  
Nate shoved him inside and Bernard turned to bolt the door shut behind them as soon as they arrived.  
“You’d better get changed,” Nate insisted.  
“Indeed I will,” Bernard replied, handing the gun to the younger man.  
Taylor backed into a corner and just stayed there, not moving. More unsettling than his short term memory was the blood coating his hands.  
Bernard soon changed into clothing that Nate had supplied, then picked up the bag.  
“Let’s go up to the farmhouse. We can call the others from there before we kill the phone lines,” he suggested.  
“Great. Hey, KID!”  
Taylor must have jumped four inches from the ground. He looked up to see the gun trained on him.  
“We’re moving. Get up.”  
Taylor hesitated for a moment – simply debating with himself what to do – before managing to pull himself to his feet. Nate grabbed his arm before going to unlock the door.  
They soon began the walk up to the farmhouse.  
“Just want me to kill the farmer?” Nate asked when they were almost there.  
“Do what you have to,” Bernard replied with a nod.  
Taylor gulped, all the while keeping his head down. He didn’t need himself in any more trouble than he already was.  
They made it up to the back of the house before the back security light came on.  
“Who goes there?!” came a husky voice, before a rather large man with a rifle came storming out the back door.

*

“Zac? Zac? Hold on, ok?! You’re gonna be alright,” Isaac stressed, squeezing his brother’s hand as the gurney was raced through the hospital corridors.  
Zac’s eyelids barely fluttered before Isaac was pulled away from him, and he disappeared into the emergency operating room.  
“Sir?” a nurse caught Isaac’s attention.  
He ran his fingers through his hair before turning to her.  
“Yes?”  
“Could you follow me please? We have some paperwork for you to fill out.”  
“Can it wait?” he asked straight away, “I really need to know if he’s going to be ok. If he dies in there, he won’t be the only one.”  
“Sir,” the nurse looked a little taken aback as he turned around again, “please, there’s no need for threats… they’re just doing their jobs.”  
“I didn’t,” Isaac frowned, before realizing how he’d said it.  
“I meant that if he dies, I’ve got no hope of finding my other brother. Now please, I just need to make sure he’s ok.”  
“Fair enough,” the nurse nodded, “but we should alert your parents.”  
“They’ve been called,” Isaac assured, “I came from a ranger station and they were alerted from there.”  
“Do they know which hospital to come to?”  
“Yes, they do. Thanks for your concern.”


	12. 12

“Hey! It’s ok!” Bernard began, stepping forward with his arms up in surrender, “we need to use your phone. We found one of the escapees. Please, put down your weapon.”  
The farmer cocked his rifle, making Taylor jump.  
“I know a Bernard Holmes when I sees him, yes Sir,” he almost growled.  
Taylor’s eyes widened.  
“Alright then,” Bernard began, turning back.  
“FREEZE!” the farmer bellowed.  
It was then that Nate grabbed Taylor around the waist and held the gun to his neck.  
“Drop the rifle Sir, or I’ll blow his head off,” he challenged.  
Taylor just closed his eyes, trying to stay unnaturally calm for his own sake.  
“And how do I know he not be of yourn?” the farmer questioned.  
“The long hair for a start,” Bernard shrugged.  
The farmer trained his rifle on him again, before a single gunshot was heard and he collapsed where he stood.  
Nate slid the gun into his belt and Bernard went up to the farmer and took his rifle from him. A woman’s cry was heard from inside.  
“Well then… let’s make ourselves at home, shall we?” Bernard proposed, indicating for the other two to follow him inside.  
Taylor looked like he’d just had the life scared out of him, so Nate grabbed his arm and pulled him in. They entered an open kitchen and dining area, where Nate shoved Taylor into a chair and Bernard went looking for the owner of the female voice.  
No sooner did Taylor hear the woman’s pleas of mercy, did he hear the gunshot that ended her life.  
“Check the rest of the house,” Nate called out, before Bernard did so.  
Moments later, another gunshot was heard.  
“What was that?!” Nate demanded while closing the back door up.  
“Kid,” came the distant reply.  
Taylor gulped and hung his head, folding his arms over his chest. Try as he might, he couldn’t wipe Zac from his thoughts.  
Maybe, just maybe, Isaac had come out after him… or he’d sent someone out to find him or something.  
He was soon distracted from his thoughts as Bernard’s heavy footsteps pounded the floorboards as he returned to the room. He came straight for Taylor and backhanded him across the face.  
Almost sent flying, Taylor slipped awkwardly from the chair and backed against the wall, holding his face.  
“Get something heavier for this kid so he doesn’t decide to ditch us again,” he said sternly, taking the rifle from the nearby bench and reloading it with some bullets he’d found.  
“Want me to try the shed?” Nate suggested.  
“Sure. Keys are by the phone.”  
Taylor was conscious enough to hear Nate take the keys and disappear through the back door. Cringing and trying not to cry any more than he already had, he leant his face against the cold brick wall trying to stop it from swelling.  
Bernard ignored him for the moment as he reloaded the rifle, then set it on the bench to wait for Nate to return to the house.


	13. 13

Time went by quickly for Taylor, and it didn’t seem all that long before he began to hear Nate’s footsteps on the back veranda.  
Taylor didn’t believe his heart could sink any further, until what he saw in Nate’s arms proved him wrong.  
Chains.  
“These do?” Nate asked, showing them to his accomplice.  
“Got a lock?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Good then. Go for it,” he nodded toward Taylor.  
Taylor began to back off as Nate approached him, soon becoming cornered in the doorway to the living room area. When he had to stop he kept his arms behind him, his eyes locked to the chains Nate held.  
“Give me your hands,” Nate ordered.  
Taylor subconsciously began to shake his head.  
“Give me your hands,” Nate repeated louder, before Taylor heard the clicks of the rifle arming.  
His eyes darted across to Bernard.  
“Don’t make it harder, son,” he said, the rifle slung easily over one shoulder and the barrel pointed down in his direction.  
With a gulp and quite obviously shaking, Taylor slowly brought his hands out. When Nate thought he could, he grabbed hold of Taylor’s right and quickly began looping the chain around his wrist before taking his other hand and doing the same thing. When he was happy with it, he slipped the padlock on. Taylor bit his lip and closed his eyes the second he heard the click.  
Nate stood and made his way back to Bernard.  
“I need to make a phone call, then we’ll disconnect the lines and get going. We can’t stay here,” the older man ordered in his gruff voice.  
“Ok. Who are you calling?”  
“Trent.”  
Nate’s face brightened considerably.  
Taylor leant his head back against the wall, keeping his eyes closed as he heard them bustle around a little. He heard Bernard grumbling about phone placement before he found it and called who he needed to.  
He was off the phone soon enough, though Taylor had paid no mind as to what he was saying. More concerned with what was on his wrists, and more importantly… on his hands.

*

Isaac paced nervously outside the emergency ward. The last he’d heard being that Zac had gone in for emergency surgery.  
The only reason he wasn’t verbally assaulting anyone in the demand for news of his brother being that he’d been locked out.  
The next time the door opened, he rushed to the nurse.  
“What’s happening?” he demanded sternly.  
The nurse stopped abruptly and considered the question for a moment.  
“The bullet is still in there,” he said softly, “it’s in a delicate place and we need to be careful. But if it helps I think your brother will be fine.”


	14. 14

“What kind of fine? Where is it? Is it near his heart? Is he going to have use of his arm?” Isaac rattled off one question after the other.  
“Calm down sir,” the nurse insisted, using his hands for emphasis, “I’m sure he will be fine. We shouldn’t be much longer, and I’m sure you will find out all you need to know in due course.”  
A glare swept across Isaac’s face.  
“I need to know now,” he insisted, “he’s the only chance I have of finding our other brother alive.”  
The nurse hesitated, letting it sink in.  
“Give us half an hour, ok?” he insisted, before disappearing through the door and locking it again.

*

When Bernard was done, the phone lines were cut as previously mentioned. Taylor couldn’t help but shiver when he heard the older man’s footsteps returning to the dining area where he and Nate were.  
“We’re moving,” he announced, going across to the kitchen bench and grabbing the few sets of car keys.  
Nate stood from where he’d been sitting and managed to pull Taylor up with him.  
“Taking a car?” Nate raised an eyebrow.  
“They’ll never miss it. We need to meet Trent in half an hour, then we’ll work it all out.”  
Taylor gulped softly, keeping his eyes firmly shut and his head down. Bernard only spared him a glance, before making for the back door.  
“Let’s go,” he added.  
Nate pulled Taylor after him as they made their way outside and down onto the driveway. Bernard went over to the nearby Ute and began trying to find the right key for it. When it was found he simply dropped the rest.  
“Get in,” he ordered, getting into the driver’s seat and unlocking the passenger side door.  
Nate opened it and managed to get Taylor in, before getting in himself and shutting the door after them. Bernard started the Ute and began down the driveway, barely making it a few metres before giving Taylor an odd glance.  
“What?” Nate asked when he noticed.  
“The kid’s shaking as if he has pneumonia.”  
Taylor gulped again, trying to inch away from him. But he was already squashed between them and there was nowhere to go.  
They were soon out onto the main road, and well on their way to meeting this ‘Trent’.

*

Exactly an hour later, Isaac demanded an explanation.  
“He’s in recovery,” the nurse on duty had to inform him.  
“Recovery?” Isaac’s eyebrows rose, “so he’s ok?”  
The nurse nodded and Isaac suddenly began to breathe a whole lot easier.  
“To an extent, at least,” was soon added.  
Isaac hesitated, then almost glared at the nurse.  
“Can you please stop side stepping and tell me exactly what the hell happened in there? I need to know!” he exclaimed suddenly.  
“Ok. The bullet did hit his left lung. He was lucky he didn’t suffocate due to blood loss. But his right is still in perfect working order, so he should be just fine,” the doctor said.


	15. 15

After something like fifteen or twenty minutes of agonizing silence, Taylor glanced across at the steering wheel.  
He was getting an idea, but he wasn’t sure if he could rely on it.  
He also realized it was the only one he had.  
Working on convincing himself it was what he had to do, he closed his eyes and began tapping his fingers against each other. He felt Nate move as he noticed, but ignored him.  
“So…” Taylor jumped as Bernard took a deep breath, tapping his fingers on the wheel.  
“Zac, was it? Your brother’s name?”  
Taylor’s eyes opened, and he stared out onto the road. His mouth opened to say something, but not able to get any words out he hung his head. He soon felt Nate give him a nudge.  
“He won’t like it if you don’t answer him,” he taunted.  
Taylor lifted his hands a little uneasily, before quickly glancing up at the road.  
“Yeah,” he replied quietly, once again focused on the blood on his hands.  
“Close?”  
Taylor hesitated, wondering why he was suddenly asking him these things. He soon got another nudge from Nate that woke him up.  
“Ah… yeah. Very,” he said, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.  
He was glad when silence followed for a time. After perhaps a following five minutes or so, Bernard cleared his throat.  
“So what’s your name, kid?”  
Taylor frowned, then looked up at him curiously. Bernard kept his eyes to the road. Glancing at the steering wheel again, he turned to look out the window.  
“Taylor,” he replied finally, not without a gulp to finish it off.  
“Do you know who we are, Taylor?”  
Taylor just shook his head, unable to say anything.  
“Perhaps it’s just as well,” Nate said suddenly, making Taylor glance in his direction nervously.  
And then he saw it.  
Not too far off in the distance, Taylor spotted a car coming in their direction. He glanced at the steering wheel again as his fingers started tapping faster.  
“You tap your fingers when you get nervous, kid?” Bernard asked.  
“Yeah,” Taylor nodded, hoping his thoughts weren’t loud enough for them to hear.  
He watched as the white car approached, barely noticing as Bernard began to slow the truck a little. Taking one last glance across at Bernard and deciding the car was close enough, Taylor made a desperate lunge for the steering wheel, veering the truck into the other lane. The other car didn’t have enough time to slow, and the two collided.  
Taylor had barely noticed when Nate had practically thrown himself at him, but he couldn’t help but see the front windscreen shatter. His next sighting of Bernard saw him hunched over the steering wheel unconscious, but before he could really make sense of what had happened Nate had opened the truck door and pulled him out.  
Catching a glimpse of the driver of the other car pulling themselves from the wreck, he took a deep breath.  
“HELP!” he yelled, “please! Please help me dear God please…”  
Nate managed to throw him back against the truck and backhand him across the face, causing him to hesitate. A second later, he’d pulled the rifle from the truck cab.


	16. 16

“What’s going on here?” came the voice of the newcomer.  
“It’s all under control,” Nate insisted, arming the rifle as Taylor remained backed up against the truck.  
“It doesn’t sound like it.”  
Taylor looked the man over. He was a little taller than Nate, slightly more muscular build, with blonde shaggy hair and a beard.  
“Trent, meet Taylor,” Nate nodded toward him.  
Taylor closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath again. Just his luck to choose that particular car to hit.  
“Where’s the other guy?” Trent asked.  
“In the truck. See if he’s ok,” Nate instructed.  
Trent did so.  
“He’s unconscious. He’ll just wake up with a headache,” his voice came a second later.  
“You’re lucky,” Nate glared at Taylor, lowering the rifle, “how’s your car?”  
“Not as bad off as the truck.”  
“We’ll have to take it then. You’ll have to help me get Bernie in the back seat.”  
“What about the kid?” Trent asked, jumping down from the cab and eyeing Taylor off.  
Nate looked him over for a second.  
“Help me get him in the trunk.”  
“Oh God,” Taylor moaned, looking to the sky helplessly.  
“You got anything to gag him with, just in case?” Trent asked, making Taylor’s eyes widen again.  
“I can make one,” Nate insisted, setting the rifle against his leg.  
He took hold of the bottom of Taylor’s shirt (that he was still wearing) and began to rip a piece off. When he had a strip of it he picked the rifle up again, before Trent came to hold it for him. Nate made his way over to Taylor, spinning the cloth slightly to tighten it.  
“Don’t make it harder than it has to be,” he insisted, “step forward.”  
Taylor glanced over at Trent before complying. He tried not to think about what might happen to him when Bernard finally woke up.  
Nate pulled the cloth through his mouth and tied it tightly at the back of his head. Moving around to Taylor’s side, Taylor saw him fumbling in his pocket for a moment before revealing the key to the lock on the chains on his wrists.  
“This’ll be quick,” Nate insisted, “I want you to put your hands behind you. Understand?”  
Taylor nodded with another gulp. As soon as his hands were free, Nate pulled them back and replaced the chains. Taylor kept his eyes down so he didn’t have to look at Trent, who he knew was watching him.  
When Nate was done he pocketed the key again, before pulling him over to the car. Taylor saw that a good portion of the front had been damaged, but not enough to make it unworthy of the road. Trent came to unlock the trunk as Taylor turned to look back at the truck.  
“He’ll be fine,” Nate assured as Trent took Taylor’s shoulders and Nate bent to grab his legs.  
Not without a grunt or two from Taylor, the two lifted him into the trunk.  
“It’s a long drive,” Trent said as he looked down on him, “has he eaten anything?”  
“No. Just give him water or something if you have to then help me with Bernie.”


	17. 17

The only thing Taylor could think about as the car was in motion was sleep. He had no idea how long it had been when he began to feel it slow, but he knew it must have been hours.  
Realizing that by now Bernard must surely be awake, he gulped slightly and closed his eyes hoping that they wouldn’t even bother opening the trunk.  
His hopes were somewhat realized when he heard them refueling.  
Whoever was doing the refueling wasn’t talking, but he strained to hear anything anyway. He couldn’t hear anything else so the place couldn’t have been very populated. Moments later the car was on the move, soon parking where Taylor guessed behind the gas station. He heard more than one car door open, and then footsteps came around to the trunk. A rattle of keys later and he had to squint as light pierced the trunk space.  
“Get him out,” came Bernard’s gruff voice.  
Taylor couldn’t help but cringe when he felt Nate grab him by the shoulders and pull him out. At first it was hard to stand having been cramped in the trunk for so long, but he eventually managed. No sooner than he had however, he was punched in the stomach and winded causing him to collapse to his knees.  
“You have to give him credit for desperation,” he managed to make out from Nate, “he could have very well killed himself as well.”  
Taylor felt Bernard pull him up from the ground and push him back against the car, ready to take another swing at him.  
“OI!” they heard Trent yell from a few metres away, obviously coming back from paying for the gas.  
Bernard hit Taylor in the gut once more before he fell down onto his side.  
“What?” Nate asked, as Taylor was also kicked when he was down.  
“Did that kid tell you who he was?”  
“His name’s Taylor, that’s all we needed to know. Why?” Bernard asked as Taylor set to coughing.  
“You guys are really bad at choosing your hostages.”  
“Why?” Nate frowned.  
“This guy is Taylor Hanson. From a band called Hanson with his brothers. You guys don’t have a chance - it’s all over the news already.”  
Bernard and Nate glanced at each other before Nate knelt down and untied Taylor’s gag. He’d only gotten more nervous with what Trent had revealed.  
“Is that true?” Nate demanded, “you’re some kind of famous musician?”  
“He has a wife and kids and everything,” Trent added, making Taylor look up at him as he continued trying to catch his breath.  
“Really?” Bernard drawled.  
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Nate scowled.  
“I don’t know,” Taylor stammered, holding himself back from mentioning he’d been gagged most of the time.  
“He didn’t say anything because he wouldn’t want to be held for ransom,” Bernard said for him.  
“We’re not holding him for ransom,” Nate insisted, standing up again, “it’s too dangerous.”  
“Of course not,” Bernard scorned, “half the people in the jail were probably there for some kind of ransom. This just makes the kid a more valuable hostage.”


	18. 18

It was a couple of hours later when Isaac was told Zac had woken up.  
“He’s not very with it,” the nurse informed him on the way to his room.  
“I don’t care.”  
“He might not remember anything.”  
“I don’t care.”  
“Are you sure you don’t want to let him rest?”  
“I’m sure!”  
The nurse reluctantly opened the door, and Isaac couldn’t stop himself rushing to Zac’s bedside.  
“Zac? Zac, are you ok? Can you hear me?” he fired off, taking hold of his right hand.  
Zac’s eyes barely opened, but he managed to distinguish that his brother was at his side.  
“Ike?” he almost choked out.  
“Yeah it’s me,” he confirmed, getting down onto one knee so he’d be closer.  
“Where’s Tay?”  
Isaac bit his lip and gave Zac’s hand a squeeze.  
“I was hoping you could tell me.”  
That registered a groan from Zac, as he closed his eyes and leant to the side a little.  
“Don’t go back to sleep on me, come on,” Isaac insisted.  
“I’m not,” Zac returned, “but I don’t know. They didn’t… tell me anything.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Positive,” Zac whispered, breathing evenly.  
“Did you see what direction they went?” Isaac asked hopefully.  
“Not really,” Zac said quietly, “it looked like they were kind of… heading for the Thompson’s. But I don’t know for sure. Ike, they took him…”  
“We know, we know,” Isaac insisted, giving his hand another squeeze, “they have people out looking. We’ll find him, ok?”  
“What are you doing here?”  
Isaac was slightly taken aback by the question.  
“Go out and look,” Zac insisted, turning to face him and just managing to open his eyes slightly, “I’ll be fine, I promise.”  
“They said you would be.”  
“I will,” Zac reinforced, “it’s Tay we have to worry about. If I were you I’d be out that door already.”  
“You’re not me.”  
“Obviously,” Zac’s voice fell to a whisper again, “so go already. Don’t make me argue when I can’t even think straight.”  
Isaac smiled, then kissed his brother’s hand.  
“I’ll be back,” he promised, letting go and finally standing up.  
“Well you’d better be,” Zac mumbled, “see you.”  
As Isaac departed, he returned his jacket to his shoulders and stopped to view a map on the wall near the entrance. When he deciphered where they’d been camping and where the nearby farmhouse of the Thompson’s was, he pulled his car keys from his pocket and headed outside.  
Starting the pickup, he headed out onto the road to make his way to the farmhouse. Perhaps they’d had encounters with the criminals or at least seen something that might be able to help in the search for Taylor.


	19. 19

Slightly more bruised and battered, Taylor had been returned to the trunk. This time he could hear them talking, and as far he could make out their plans hadn’t changed.  
According to Taylor’s logic, that meant his hadn’t either. And getting away from them was his top priority.  
It was well beyond dark, he knew. He also knew there was no way he could open the trunk from the inside. But he also knew that the car wasn’t traveling at its full speed, as many other cars had passed it already. And considering the slight increase in traffic, they had to be heading somewhere more populated.  
Looking down toward his feet, he eyed off the lights. They didn’t seem to be very secure… but he had to be sure of his timing.  
Turning his head slightly, he waited until he could hear the next car approaching. This didn’t happen until at least ten minutes later, and by then his neck was definitely stiff. However it was nothing compared to the aches his arms were suffering from being held behind for so long.  
When he heard the car get close enough that it wouldn’t overtake for another minute or so, he kicked at the lights as hard as he could. It didn’t take much effort for them to become unattached and fall to the road. Hearing the crash and hoping the driver and passengers hadn’t, he pushed himself further to the side in the trunk and managed to stick his foot and part of his leg through the hole it made.  
Holding his breath, he heard the car behind slowing a little, before accelerating. He gulped slightly as he heard it overtaking before pulling his foot back in and beginning to wonder exactly what would happen when the men realized what he’d done to the car lights.  
Deciding not to dwell on it, he closed his eyes and waited.

*

Isaac arrived at the farmhouse after dark. He found it odd that he couldn’t see any lights on, but perhaps they were in a bedroom or something.  
He knocked on the door and waited. When there was no response, he knocked again.  
“Mr. and Mrs. Thompson?! Hello?!”  
Still not garnering a response, he tried the door handle. It was locked.  
Grinding his teeth and suddenly getting a bad feeling, he began to make his way around the back. He became even more worried when he saw the back door wide open and one of the chairs near the door on its side.  
Treading carefully now, he made his way in and carefully felt for the nearest light switch. The backlight came on, and when he hit the next one the kitchen light finally came on. Isaac took in the scene in silence.  
“Hello?” he tried again, before noticing that all the keys were gone.  
Frowning to himself, he stepped back out onto the back porch. Now that the light was on, he suddenly spotted something he’d missed earlier…  
“Mr. Thompson?!” he exclaimed, rushing down onto the grass and falling to his knees by his side.  
He debated with himself what to do for a moment. The man wasn’t breathing.  
Finally, he pulled himself together enough to check his pulse.  
“Oh no,” he murmured, quickly pulling out his cell phone.  
He dialed the ranger’s office.  
“Hello? This is Isaac Hanson over at the Thompson’s… Mr. Thompson is dead.”


	20. 20

It was possibly half an hour later when Taylor heard another car approaching from the rear, though he - having lost track of time - could easily have said it were hours.  
He debated slipping his foot through the hole again. The other car, hard as it would have been, could have missed it. Maybe they wouldn’t do anything for whatever reason. Maybe they weren’t believed.  
Deciding quickly, he did it again. No sooner had he, did he hear police sirens begin to wail.  
Quickly pulling his foot back in shock, he felt the car begin to slow. The police car overtook, and they soon had to pull over. He heard the doors of the police car opening – two of them – and then the officers’ footsteps making their way toward the car. Whoever was driving had obviously wound their window down as conversation soon erupted. Though Taylor couldn’t make out the words, he could hear that the tone was worryingly calm.  
Not thirty seconds past Taylor asking himself if they were ever going to open the trunk, two simultaneous and loud gunshots rang out into the night. Taylor couldn’t help but yell, purely from the shock, before squeezing his eyes shut and praying they were ok.  
He soon heard three car doors open and recognized the hopelessness of his request. Two sets of footsteps became silent, but the third came toward the trunk. Whimpering slightly different prayers now, Taylor heard an exclamation when whoever it was saw what he’d done to the lights before there was a rattle of keys and trunk was opened.  
“Come on, get out. We’ve got something to show you,” came Nate’s voice as Taylor kept his eyes closed.  
His muffled pleas to leave him alone went unheard as he was pulled down onto the bitumen before being dragged to his feet and pulled around to the side of the car. Nate soon had him up against the side before grabbing his jaw and turning his head to the side.  
“Open your eyes,” he ordered.  
And despite being smaller than Taylor, he was very persuasive. Taylor had opened his eyes barely a crack when he closed them tightly again. On the road beside them was the body of one of the officers.  
“People keep dying because of you, Taylor,” Nate taunted almost childishly, “first your brother, you almost killed the three of us, and now these two. Who’s next?”  
“I say he is,” came Trent’s voice from somewhere nearby, “he looks to be proving more trouble than he’s worth. Do you really need him?”  
“Bernie needs him to get him over the border,” Nate replied, not without regret.  
He soon returned his attention to Taylor, almost hyperventilating and still refusing to open his eyes. He finally let go of him and backed off a little, turning his attention to his accomplices.  
“Get them in the car and run it off the road. No one should come looking for some time. It’ll give us a while to get a new car and continue on to the safe house.”  
Trent nodded and began dragging the nearest body back to the car. Bernard was already at the car, sifting through the contents.  
“And you,” Nate tapped Taylor on the shoulder, “are riding in the front from now on. You’re lucky the car’s already no good for anything.”  
Taylor managed to slide to the ground as Nate left him and went to help Trent. Once they had the policemen in the car and Bernard had everything from it he wanted, they took the brakes off and pushed it from the road.


	21. 21

Isaac quite happily answered all the rangers’ questions about how he’d come to the farmhouse and what he’d found. He obviously didn’t know very much and so was let go early, but he’d been mostly relieved to know that the Thompsons were the only ones in the house.  
As he began to make his way out to the driveway again, something crunched underfoot.  
Looking down and taking a step back, Isaac saw a set of keys. Frowning in confusion for a moment, he spotted another set nearby. That led to another set sitting atop a small pile.  
Then he looked up and saw the tyre tracks.  
Glancing back at the farmhouse and seeing no one look in his direction, he took out his own keys and made his way over to the pickup.

*

“How far now?” Bernard demanded, making Taylor jump.  
“Another ten minutes or so,” Trent replied as Nate gave Taylor a glance.  
He was sitting between Bernard and Nate in the back seat, Trent being the driver.  
“Where to from there?” Trent asked.  
“We’ll probably head for the border in the morning,” Bernard replied.  
“That soon?”  
“Unless you want to stay during the day and then head for the border tomorrow evening,” Nate suggested.  
“I’ll decide when we get there,” Bernard shrugged.  
“I’ve got some people that might want to meet your kid, if you don’t have a problem with it,” Trent offered suddenly, making Taylor look up.  
“What kind of people?” Bernard asked.  
“Ones that would keep him occupied until you’re ready to leave, no doubt.”  
“Regulars?” Nate’s eyebrows rose.  
“Something like that.”  
“We’ll see when we get there,” Bernard repeated, keeping his eye on Trent as if deciding whether to trust him or not.  
Taylor set to hoping it didn’t happen with his eyes closed again. Nate watched him for a moment, before turning his attention to outside the window. They’d been in suburbia for almost ten minutes before Trent pulled the car into a side alley and turned the lights down.  
“We’re here,” he announced, pulling the car to a halt.  
“What is this place?” Bernard asked, pulling his jacket tighter over his shoulders as he registered the loud music coming from inside.  
“It’s just a club,” Trent shrugged, turning back, “you know, disco, strippers, the usual.”  
“Let’s get inside,” Nate insisted, opening his door and getting out.  
He leant in again to pull Taylor out as the other two vacated the car as well.  
“What about the car?” Bernard asked.  
“I’ll dispose of it later. It’s stolen anyway,” Trent assured, making his way over to a side door and opening it for them.  
The music was a lot louder inside, though they were still far from the source. Trent directed them through a few short hallways, eventually stopping at what looked like a shoddy motel room.  
“You two should be fine in here,” Trent opened the door, before grabbing the back of Taylor’s jacket, “I’ll take the kid somewhere else.”


	22. 22

“Are you sure?” Nate asked warily as Taylor’s eyes darted.  
“It’s no problem,” Trent insisted, “as I said, I have some friends who’d like to meet him. They’ll take good care of him, don’t worry.”  
“We’ll be making way by early morning,” Bernard laid down, “don’t get him too comfortable.”  
“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that,” Trent almost smirked, his other hand now on Taylor’s shoulder.  
“If you need anything, find Max. Big black guy, sometimes works as our bouncer but he should be off tonight. He should be hanging around. But everything you need should be in that room.”  
“Thanks Trent,” Nate saluted, before disappearing into it.  
Bernard eyed Taylor off for a moment.  
“Don’t worry about him, he’s not going anywhere,” Trent assured.  
“Let me know where he’ll be,” Bernard ordered, “just so I can… check on him now and again.”  
“Ok I will. There’s no need to, but I will,” Trent agreed.  
Bernard made his way into the room and closed the door, before Trent pulled Taylor further along the hallway. Not having any idea of what was in store for him, Taylor was beginning to venture beyond paranoid.  
He almost felt as if he was walking the green mile and he was sure it was just as long. He’d wished he could have covered his ears at least three times before they finally came to a door that Trent simply knocked on.  
“Just a minute!” came a woman’s voice, and Taylor couldn’t help but frown in confusion.  
Footsteps were heard before the door opened and Taylor couldn’t help but take a few steps back before Trent grabbed hold of him again.  
“Yes?” the blonde asked with raised eyebrows and a hand on her hip.  
“I’ve brought you a plaything,” Trent replied, pulling Taylor into his side and almost making him fall over.  
The blonde eyed him off for a moment, and Taylor did his best to keep his eyes off her.  
“He’s a bit dirty.”  
“You can clean him up or do whatever you want with him,” Trent shrugged, pulling a key from his pocket and handing it to her, “just don’t let him out. He belongs to Bernard Holmes and they’re only staying the night. Enjoy it while you can.”  
Taylor was already beginning to feel sick as she began to nod.  
“Ok,” she agreed, reaching out for him.  
She grabbed him by the hair and pulled him forward, not without causing a muffled yelp.  
“What time do you need him back?”  
“He said early, but I don’t know exactly when. I’ll let you know in advance.”  
“Thanks,” she smiled, before giving him a peck on the cheek and pulling Taylor into the room.  
She let him go for a moment as she locked the door behind them, and he took the chance to look around. There wasn’t much to the room. Indeed, the double bed had no mattress even. But his eyes couldn’t help but tear up when he saw the chains at either end.  
“Carlie will be joining us soon. She’s just finishing up with someone,” came the woman’s voice from behind him, before he realized she was just standing there and sizing him up.  
He must have jumped two inches when he felt her nails dig into the knot on his gag.


	23. 23

“So. What’s your name?” the blonde asked, stepping around him after throwing the gag aside.  
Taylor took a moment to gather himself before replying.  
“Taylor,” he stuttered, keeping his eyes away from her.  
“And are you a virgin, Taylor?”  
“Excuse me?” he couldn’t help but go on automatic defense, even as his wrists were tied.  
“Are you a virgin?” she repeated, as if it were the most common thing to ask.  
“I really don’t think that’s any of your…”  
“It’s not a hard question,” she frowned.  
“Of course it isn’t,” Taylor shrugged, “but I don’t see why you’d need to know.”  
She began to advance on him a little, and he couldn’t help but step back.  
“Are you or not, Taylor?”  
Realising he was going to be cornered if she didn’t let up, he finally stood his ground.  
“I’m a father of two,” his voice almost cracked.  
“Oh…” she smiled, taking hold of his chin as she continued looking him over, “a family man then.”  
“What do you want?” his voice lowered.  
She gave him an odd look for a moment, before letting go of him and stepping back a little brandishing the key Trent had given her.  
“I sincerely doubt you answer Bernard back as much.”  
“I don’t think he has the same intentions somehow,” Taylor shook his head.  
“Clever boy,” the girl laughed, before indicating for him to spin.  
“Turn around.”  
Seeing that she had the key ready, he cautiously did so. He felt her unlocking the chains, and rolled his eyes with relief. Though he couldn’t help but wonder if something similar would be on his wrists seconds later.  
“Guess we’d better get you cleaned up,” she was still smiling.  
He held his wrists as soon as they were free, slightly unnerved at not only again the sight of Zac’s blood on his hands, but his own blood escaping from scrapes from the chains.  
“There’s a lot of blood on you,” the girl began nonchalantly, moving around him so she could see his face again, “but it’s not yours. Did you hurt someone?”  
“No,” Taylor replied sternly, “they… they shot my brother.”  
“You’re really not having a good time are you?” she almost giggled, “maybe that’s something we can change?”  
“I’m sorry,” Taylor shook his head, able to look her in the eyes again, “but I’m spoken for. I love my wife.”  
“Well you won’t necessarily get a say in it, now will you?” she cocked her head slightly, before grabbing hold of him by the shoulder.  
“Now as I said, let’s get you cleaned up. Bathroom’s over here.”  
She pulled him over to one of the doors that led from the room, and opened it to reveal a rather disgusting green bathroom. She shoved him in and stopped to look him over again.  
“I’ll give you ten minutes. Carlie should be here by then. I suggest you get over your shyness before then,” she said, before closing the door.  
“Shyness?” Taylor frowned to himself, before looking around.  
Trying not to pay too much attention to the surroundings, he ran the water and stripped down to have a quick shower.


	24. 24

It was barely minutes later when Taylor heard the door opening. Just in time, he managed to turn the water off and grab the shirt to cover himself with.  
“Carlie’s here,” the blonde announced, poking her head through, “so hurry up.”  
She giggled a little when she saw what he was doing.  
“Not over the shyness yet, huh?”  
“Can you please give me a moment?” Taylor frowned incredulously.  
She shrugged and closed the door. Catching his breath, he quickly used a hand towel to somewhat dry himself off before getting dressed again. He wished sincerely that he had some alternative clothes, as he was still wearing Nate’s uniform.  
He looked himself over in the mirror, not sure whether he preferred looking the way he had before the shower or after, before grudgingly heading for the door. He opened it and immediately jumped, finding the blonde standing in the way before she grabbed him by the shoulders.  
“That shirt can come off,” she insisted, pushing him toward the bed.  
“What are you gonna do to me?” Taylor demanded, trying to look over his shoulder.  
“Carlie, meet Taylor.”  
He looked up to see a brunette standing on the other side of the bed, slightly shorter and a lot thinner than the blonde but wearing just as revealing clothing. She waved to him as he frowned.  
She soon had the shirt off him – not without some hindrance.  
“Lay down,” she ordered, throwing it to the side.  
“On that?” Taylor’s eyebrows rose, indicating what there was of the bed.  
“What else?”  
“You can’t be serious,” Taylor shook his head, decidedly not wanting to state the obvious.  
But he knew that was going to hurt.  
“He’s rather meek, isn’t he?” Carlie pointed out.  
“Family man,” the blonde shook some hair out of her face before turning Taylor around.  
“Now, Taylor… we can do this the easy way or the hard way…”  
“What’s the hard way?” he immediately demanded.  
“Well…” she considered, “if you kicked up too much of a fuss we could always send you back to Bernie. Next level down is that you get hurt. Otherwise we’ll just have to resort to working with the way you came in here.”  
“You mean…” Taylor cut himself off, eyeing one end of the bed already.  
He shook his head with a gulp.  
“Tell me what you’re going to do,” he pleaded.  
“Don’t be so worried,” she insisted, pushing him down so he was sitting on the edge of the bed frame, “do you even know what Bernard has planned for you?”  
“I’m a hostage to get him over the border,” Taylor shook his head, “that’s all.”  
“Think he’ll let you go afterward?”  
Taylor had to think about that for a moment, his back still to Carlie.  
“I doubt it,” he admitted finally, his voice a little shaky.  
“Why? Did you piss him off or something?” the blonde asked, leaning forward toward him as if to push him back.  
Taylor backed up onto the bed before she could.  
“Kind of,” he relented, eyes darting again as he heard Carlie move behind him.


	25. 25

A sudden loud crack echoed through the room, making Taylor almost jump out of his skin.  
“Very skittish,” Carlie chuckled, continuing on with her earlier statement, “I say we tie this rabbit down.”  
“Wait!” Taylor insisted, backing up even further before hitting the headrest and hearing the chains rattle behind him.  
“I agree,” the blonde nodded, “if he’s on death row we don’t know what he’s capable of.”  
“So I don’t get any say in this whatsoever?” Taylor had to make sure.  
“Let’s see…” the blonde tapped her chin patiently, “…no.”  
Taylor had already sighted the whip in Carlie’s hand, so he knew her direction was out of the question. If he could just get the keys to the door…  
“Why?” he attempted to keep conversation going so he had more time to think.  
“Because you know exactly what we want, and we know you’re not willing to give it,” the blonde raised an eyebrow, before reaching over to take hold of a chained cuff.  
While she was momentarily distracted, Taylor darted out from under her heading for the other side of the room. A sickening crack was heard before he felt a stabbing pain in his right arm and yelled out, soon registering the thick leather wrapped around it as Carlie spun the whip to tighten it.  
“And where did you think you were going?” the blonde scowled, making her way over as Taylor fell down onto one knee and then sat back against the wall.  
“The door’s locked anyway,” Carlie shrugged.  
“Anywhere but there,” he replied sullenly, annoyed to find himself starting to shake.  
The blonde knelt down and carefully uncoiled the whip from his arm, being careful around where it had been cut from the strike.  
“I really wouldn’t think you’d have such a problem with this,” she sighed, “it might be your last chance to have some fun after all.”  
“This isn’t fun,” Taylor scorned, refusing to look at her.  
“Because you’re not letting it. Now come on,” she insisted, pulling him up from the ground.  
She took him back over to the bed, and this time Carlie helped her by taking hold of him as she readied the chains.  
In looking Carlie over, Taylor was sure he easily could have overpowered her at any other time. Unfortunately he was lacking in the energy department due to not sleeping or eating since the whole ordeal started, and it was out of the question.  
He dare not close his eyes as his wrists were secured above his head, the chains only loose enough to create the illusion that he could get out of them, before Carlie moved around to secure his feet and the blonde climbed onto the bed with him.  
“You’re actually quite attractive when you’re not covered in dirt and blood,” she almost giggled, lowering herself down to his chest.  
He just gulped and said nothing, wanting badly to close his eyes but not trusting her enough to.  
“There’s not an unusual scar on you. I guess your wife isn’t into blood play, huh?”  
“What?!” he couldn’t help but exclaim, looking up now even with the effort it took to.  
“Settle,” she patted him on the cheek, before pulling out what looked like a decorative pocketknife.  
And then finally, Taylor did close his eyes. Determinedly.


	26. 26

“This is… insane,” Isaac said to himself, as he kept his eyes on the sunrise.  
“One second, we’re all la-di-da in the woods, having a jolly old time. The next one of us is in hospital, another is being held hostage by escaped convicts, and the other is on an endless road to nowhere in search of the one being held by escaped convicts even when he has no idea where the hell they are or where they’re going.”  
He looked at himself in the rear view mirror.  
“You’re screwed in the head, you know this right?” he said to himself.  
“Only a lunatic would be talking to himself in a situation like this. Actually, only a lunatic would be in this situation in the first place. What the hell am I doing?”  
He began to pull over. There hadn’t been another car in sight for almost three hours now and he wasn’t even sure where he was.  
Glancing at the gas tank and seeing he had plenty of fuel, he shut the engine off and leant back in his seat. His stomach had been growling for possibly the last hour or so, and after a long mental debate with himself he finally pulled himself from the truck to check the back and see if there was any food.  
Before he even made it to the back however, he spied something odd in the trees on the side of the road. Squinting slightly, he decided it looked almost like a refrigerator.  
Deciding the food could wait until he explored this odd addition to the road a little further, he made his way over. Upon closer inspection, he found it to actually be the hood of a white car. A patrol car, in fact, that had been covered over with branches.  
“Holy…” Isaac cursed, rushing to pull the branches away.  
He ducked around to the side, quickly grimacing and turning away when he saw the remains of the two men inside.  
“Ok, I can work with this…” he gulped, before pulling out his cell phone.  
He cursed when he found there was no coverage.  
“Ok, ok, still working, still working…” Isaac told himself, making his way back up to the truck.  
He looked back down on the car, his mind racing for what to do, before he made a dash for the front door of the truck and dived for the radio.  
“Mayday! Mayday! Anyone out there? Over.”  
A crackled reply soon came through.  
“This is the Northern Oklahoma Ranger Station, how may we be of assistance? Over.”  
“Hello!” Isaac exclaimed, “I just pulled over to get something out of my truck and found this car hidden on the side of the road. It’s a patrol car. Two officers dead and I don’t know if there was anyone else in there…”  
“What is your location?”  
Good question.  
“Ah… I’m not sure. On a highway… there’s a farm across the road…”  
“What kind of farm sir?”  
“It looks like a chicken farm,” Isaac shrugged, “and it has cows. Maybe an egg and milk farm? Green roofing…”  
“Was that green roofing?”  
“Yes.”  
“Ok we know which one that is. We’ll send someone out now.”  
“Thank you,” Isaac breathed, before hanging up.  
He debated what to do with himself for a moment, before deciding to stay by the truck.


	27. 27

It was an hour or two later when Taylor heard the door creak open, but he didn’t look up. Carlie poked her head through cautiously, before slipping through and locking it behind her.  
“Taylor?”  
He didn’t even blink, just remained staring at the ceiling. Taking a quick glance around the room, she began to make her way over to the bedside.  
She knelt beside him, careful not to touch. She could see he was bleeding quite a bit, and bruises were slowly forming on most skin within sight.  
“It’s Taylor Hanson… isn’t it?” she tried again.  
“What do you care?” he struggled to get out.  
She bit her lip, before noticing his belt was undone.  
“Steph didn’t rape you, did she?” she looked worried suddenly.  
“She may as well have,” Taylor replied, with what almost sounded like a whimper to follow.  
“What was that?” Carlie asked.  
“There’s a… spring… in my back,” Taylor breathed, still talking quietly, “I think… it might be… drawing blood.”  
He cringed for a moment, and gulped. Carlie glanced back at the door, before getting down onto her hands and knees. She soon saw what he was talking about, and carefully reached out for it.  
An exclamation from Taylor greeted her efforts as she dislodged the wire end from his back and set it right, before she wiped some blood from her hand and knelt up again.  
“There,” she sighed.  
“Why are you here?” Taylor’s eyes darted, still not looking at her.  
“Because unfortunately, I have a conscience,” she admitted, “and… I’ve been watching the news.”  
Taylor turned to look at her questioningly.  
“And… I thought you’d like to know that your brother’s alive. Zac isn’t it?”  
Taylor’s eyes widened, and he immediately tried to sit up. He collapsed again instantly when he remembered where he was, though he’d started breathing heavily.  
“Do they know I’m alive?” his eyes searched the ceiling.  
“No?” Carlie sounded regretful, “I’m sorry…”  
“Can you tell them?” he looked at her again.  
“I…” she began to shake her head, “if I did, I mean… we’d all… this place… they’d trace the call, and…”  
“Is that such a bad thing?” Taylor was already sounding as desperate as he was.  
“I have responsibilities here,” she in turn begged him to understand, “if they found out it was me, I don’t know what they’d do.”  
“I’d get you off,” Taylor insisted, “they could put you under witness protection or something, right?”  
“I have a baby…”  
“I have two,” Taylor returned the challenge, not calming even slightly.  
She bit her lip again with a frown, knowing she wasn’t going to win the argument.  
“I’ll… I’ll see what I can do,” she said non-committedly, getting up to leave.  
Taylor returned to staring at the ceiling as the door shut, eyes barely beginning to water at the knowledge that Zac had actually made it.


	28. 28

Barely a couple of hours later, Taylor’s door opened once again. Judging by the footsteps alone Taylor could tell who it was, and dare not close his eyes again.  
“Get him up,” Bernard ordered.  
The blonde appeared again with the key to the chains on Taylor’s wrists, and quickly set him free. She pulled him up, and he was able to stand up on the second attempt.  
“Let’s go,” Bernard grumbled, grabbing Taylor by the hair and making him cringe.  
He pulled him from the room, and back the way they’d come in. Upon returning to the alleyway, Taylor could see the sun was still far from rising.  
When they stopped for a moment, he quickly managed to do up his belt and scratch an itch that had been a hassle for the past twenty minutes or so.  
“Get in,” Bernard ordered, indicating the car they were standing beside.  
Taylor hesitated, wondering for a moment at not being restrained in any way, before obediently getting in the passenger side. Once he was in, Bernard bid Trent farewell, then got into the driver’s side.  
He hit the central locking, making Taylor jump, before winding his window down a little.  
“We should be at the border in a couple of hours,” he informed him, “so get some sleep if you want.”  
Taylor wrapped his arms around himself defensively, wondering exactly how Bernard expected him to. But he had been yawning an awful lot and anyone could see he was having trouble keeping his eyes open.  
He soon began to shiver, due to the cold air coming in Bernard’s window and not having a shirt on.  
“Cold?” Bernard raised an eyebrow when he noticed.  
Taylor just nodded, again only afraid of what might happen if he didn’t answer.  
Bernard took a moment to look over his shoulder, before turning back.  
“There’s a jacket in the back,” he offered.  
Taylor hesitated a moment with a frown, before looking across at the man curiously.  
“Go on,” Bernard insisted, “I don’t need you sneezing all over me.”  
Taylor bit his lip at that, before carefully reaching over to the back seat and grabbing it. As he pulled it back toward him, something clattered to the floor which made him jump.  
“What was that?” Bernard frowned as Taylor pulled the jacket into his chest.  
“Nothing,” Taylor stuttered, staring at the handcuffs now sitting on the floor of the back.  
“Bullshit,” Bernard muttered, checking his mirrors a moment before leaning around and using his right hand to search for whatever had dropped.  
Taylor squeezed his eyes shut and clutched the jacket to his chest as he heard Bernard take a hold of the cuffs and bring them around to study. There was a moment of silence between them as he looked them over.  
“These are nothing?” he raised an eyebrow, giving the silent Taylor an odd glance.  
He threw them to him, Taylor opening his eyes in time to catch them in his right hand.  
“Then prove it. Put them on for me.”  
Taylor looked up at him incredulously.  
“But… there’s no key!” he exclaimed without raising his voice.  
“Makes my job easier,” Bernard shrugged.  
“But… I haven’t done anything…”  
“Now that, my boy, is laughable,” Bernard couldn’t help but smile as Taylor shivered, “now. Are you going to do it for me, or do I have to?”


	29. 29

Isaac had only waited long enough for authorities to arrive on the scene of the hidden police car before taking off again, more determined now than before that he was on the right track to finding his brother.  
He lost count of the hours as he drove, contemplating for barely a moment as to whether or not pull over and get some rest before berating himself and forcing thoughts of Zac in the hospital to keep his motivation pumping.  
“Calling Isaac Hanson, are you out there son?” came a sudden crackle through the radio.  
Isaac checked his mirrors for a moment as he was in a small town, before slowing down and picking up the hand piece.  
“Yes sir, this is Isaac.”  
“Where are you now?”  
“Still heading north on the highway of the rendezvous.”  
“I’d advise you to head back as soon as possible.”  
Isaac frowned at that.  
“Am I in trouble or something?” was his first conclusion.  
“Not at all. We received a tip from a young lady on where your brother was.”  
“Was?!”  
“Bernard Holmes has taken him to the border. Now that we know where he is you may as well turn around…”  
“But I’m almost at the border!” Isaac exclaimed, “You can’t expect me to turn back now!”  
“Isaac let us handle this, please. Bernard Holmes is armed and-“  
Isaac leant down and turned the radio off.

*

Taylor cursed the fact that the central locking was on the driver’s door.  
“Well?” Bernard demanded.  
Taylor quickly looked around. If he made it into the back seat, Bernard wouldn’t be able to reach him. He knew he had no chance of getting out of the car until Bernard slipped up somehow.  
“Don’t get any ideas, kid,” the man grunted, before Taylor grabbed for the lever to send the back of the seat down.  
It fell, and he immediately scrambled back behind the driver’s seat. Bernard instinctively reached out to grab his leg, but just missed.  
He immediately pulled the car over. Taylor’s breathing became heavier, even as he told himself that this was what he wanted. Bernard leant over to snatch up the cuffs that Taylor had dropped, before formally parking the car and kneeling up on his seat.  
“You know,” he began callously as he worked his way over to the passenger side, “I don’t think you’ve quite learned your lesson yet.”  
As soon as Bernard had moved far enough, Taylor’s left hand darted forward and fiddled for a moment before managing to hit the central locking button. By the time Bernard realized what had happened, Taylor had used his other to open the door and he was out.  
Bernard grunted and opened the passenger door to get out as well.  
“Where do you think you’re going to go?!” he called after Taylor who’d rushed up the bank and was heading for the thrush, “you’re miles from the nearest roadhouse. And who knows where those trees end.”  
Taylor stopped himself before the tree line. The man was right. So now what?


	30. 30

“Where are you going to go?” Bernard called out.  
Taylor cringed, swaying on his feet, trying to decide what to do. He could risk bolting into the trees and getting lost for who knows how long, or he could take off down the road and have Bernard chasing him in the car and maybe even hitting him. While the trees seemed the safer option, he had no idea where they led to if he ever got out the other side. He could end up in Kansas for all he knew!  
He turned to look over his shoulder at him, still clutching the jacket as if it were a lifeline.  
“You’re definitely going to kill me, aren’t you?” he said suddenly, his voice shaking along with his body, “I mean, there’d be no changing your mind. And it’s not like you haven’t already done it before…”  
“I haven’t decided,” Bernard attempted to reason, slowly inching closer.  
“You told me you would. And that was before…”  
Taylor couldn’t finish the sentence.  
“How do you know I didn’t say that just to scare you into obedience?” Bernard pointed out.  
“Because if you were smart you wouldn’t have said anything you didn’t mean.”  
Bernard scowled at that, before revealing the dagger he still had. Taylor began to back off, eyes growing wide.  
“If I were what?” Bernard demanded, beginning to advance.  
Taylor’s breathing heavied. He took another look down the road in the hopes of seeing at least a car, but when he saw nothing he whispered a quick prayer and bolted for the trees. Bernard’s footsteps were after him within seconds. Though the trees were nowhere near thick enough to shield him, Taylor hoped to get far enough away that he wouldn’t be in Bernard’s sights. Then he’d worry about getting back to the road.  
A sudden thud halted him in his tracks. He looked back to see the dagger stuck in a tree barely a foot from where he’d been. Glancing back to sight Bernard, he could see him still running for him perhaps fifty metres behind.  
He had to think quickly. Take the dagger and fight? He couldn’t run forever, but he didn’t like his changes taking on Bernard with any kind of close-range weapon. But even if he took the dagger, that would mean Bernard wouldn’t have it.  
Weighing the pros and cons, he’d already lost some good time before he decided not to take it. He didn’t know how well it was stuck in the tree to begin with. A few moments later Taylor heard Bernard pluck the dagger from the tree and turned in time to see him take aim again. In doing so he wasn’t watching where he was going, and tripped over an abandoned log.  
He was back on his knees in seconds, aware that he’d just lost some valuable time. Normally, he realised, he’d be able to outrun the larger man by miles. But due to malnutrition and just plain tiredness, that was far from happening now. The next thing he knew, there was a sharp pain in his right leg and the muscles seized up. In his rush he fell over again, grabbing at his leg as he tried not to get too worked up. The dagger hadn’t dug in too deep, but enough that it had blood on it when Taylor removed it. Looking back for Bernard, his eyes widened when he realized how close he now was.  
He desperately pulled himself to his feet again, dagger in hand. But it was within ten metres that Taylor was tackled to the ground.  
“Get off me!” he yelped, holding onto the dagger for all he was worth.  
Bernard easily pried it from his fingers, then used it to slice at Taylor’s leg a second time.


	31. 31

Isaac’s eyes narrowed as he passed through a small town. There only seemed to be the one main street, but it was well populated with young adults and teenagers. Particularly around a sort of pub and club area. Then he sighted what the fuss may have been about.  
Hesitantly, he pulled into a small side street. There were three police cars, and more officers than could fit into them. Some people were being detained, others questioned. Some men in black suits stood around, looking to be assessing the situation. And ambulance appeared to be on standby, but no one looked injured.  
Isaac got out of the truck and made his way over to the nearest officer.  
“Excuse me, what happened here?” he asked.  
“Move along sir,” the policeman dismissed.  
“Please, does this have anything to do with Taylor Hanson or Bernard Holmes or whoever else escaped I don’t know their names…?”  
“And what do you know about it, sir?” the policeman suddenly had Isaac in his sights.  
“Does it?” Isaac looked a lot more hopeful, “did they come through here? Am I going the right way?”  
“What do you mean ‘the right way’?” the man put his hands on his hips, looking a lot more interested.  
“Did they come through here or not?” Isaac frowned, annoyed at being held up.  
“Sir, don’t get high and mighty with me. Just tell me why you want to know.”  
Isaac looked around hesitantly. Given his last conversation with authorities, he wouldn’t be surprised if a call had been placed to pick him up and squash his chances of getting to Taylor before they could.  
“I have a personal interest in Mr Hanson’s welfare,” he said finally.  
“What’s your name, son? I’m going to have to ask you for I.D.”  
Isaac’s eyes narrowed.  
“He was here, wasn’t he?” he began to shake his head, backing off.  
“Sir…”  
Isaac bolted for his pick up, and was soon back on the road. Meanwhile the policeman who he’d spoken with rushed to tell his superiors, and there was soon as patrol car right on his tail.

*

Taylor yelled out when he felt the knife slash his skin a third time.  
“Are you done yet?!” Bernard practically yelled, “or do I need to slash your tendons as well?!”  
Taylor choked when he heard that, rolling onto his side as he tried to crawl away. He yelled out again when Bernard grabbed his left ankle.  
“NO!” he screeched, “don’t! Please!”  
“Then shut up and listen,” Bernard’s voice lowered.  
Taylor took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Reduced to panting, he practically collapsed down onto his stomach in defeat.  
“Now we’re not far from the border,” Bernard began calmly, “pretty soon this will all be over. Indefinitely. And if you help me get across, I may spare your life. You hear?”  
“I don’t have a choice,” Taylor’s voice cracked as he tried not to break down.  
“No, you don’t,” Bernard agreed, letting go of his ankle, “but let’s try and make this as easy as possible, shall we?”  
He stepped around Taylor, then leant down to grab his arm and pulled him to his feet.


	32. 32

After having to half drag Taylor back to the car because he could barely balance himself on one leg, Bernard let him lean on the side as he opened the passenger door. Taylor took the moment to finally put the jacket on, zipping it up halfway at the front.  
“Give me your hands,” Bernard instructed suddenly.  
When Taylor turned back to him, he saw he had the handcuffs ready.  
“Please don’t be serious,” he shook his head desperately.  
“Prove to me that you’re not going to cause any more trouble than you already have,” Bernard’s eyes narrowed, getting both sides open and ready.  
Taylor looked in through the window of the car, stalling for a moment, before stretching his arms behind him and then holding them out to Bernard. The cuffs were on in seconds, and he hung his head submissively.  
“Get in the car,” Bernard ordered, opening the door for him.  
Taylor took one last look down the road before complying. The door was locked and shut after him, and Bernard made his way around to the driver’s side. They were soon once again on their way to the border.

*

Isaac cringed as he watched the patrol car in his rear vision mirror. They didn’t have their lights on or anything, but he was sure they were going to pull him over eventually. And about twenty minutes later, those lights and sirens came on.  
Grudgingly, Isaac pulled over. They pulled up behind him, and he waited for one of them to come to his window.  
“Sir, I’d ask you to step out of the car please,” the officer announced as he approached.  
Isaac rolled his eyes, trying to resist grinding his teeth. But he opened the door and stepped out obediently.  
“Come around to the back of the truck.”  
“Officer, I am in a serious rush right now,” Isaac shook his head insistently.  
“We can see that. Can I see some identification please?”  
Isaac pulled out his wallet, holding his I.D. out so the officer could see. The man took one look at it before looking up at him again.  
“So you’re his brother, huh?”  
“Distant cousin,” Isaac scorned sarcastically, “can I go now?”  
“See now, word on the street says you were asked to turn back to the ranger station you came from,” the officer began, as Isaac hung his head trying to think of a way out.  
He frowned.  
Kneeling down, he reached to the side of him a little and gently touched the road. A dark patch of something wet had caught his eye, and it wasn’t motor oil. The officer soon saw what he did and knelt down with him.  
“It’s recent,” Isaac informed him, rubbing the red substance between his fingers.  
The officer immediately went to inform his comrade and tell him to radio forensics. Isaac pondered for barely a moment before standing again and going back to the truck.  
“Sir! Wait!” the officer called after him when he saw what he was doing.  
But Isaac simply started the truck and pulled out without speaking a word. Now he knew he was on the right track, and nothing but distance was going to stop him getting to Taylor before they reached the border.  
The knowledge that he was bleeding as badly as the spatters showed on the road egged him on even more.


	33. 33

Taylor’s eyes widened and he shot Bernard a look. The border was now in their sights, and they could already see about five police cars in the vicinity.  
“Now what?” he demanded, fiddling with the cuffs on his wrists.  
“Why, do you think anything’s changed?” Bernard asked snidely.  
Taylor slid down in his seat at that, sure that his time had just started to run out.  
It wasn’t long before they’d driven up to the barricade. Bernard parked possibly ten metres before them, and then climbed into the back seat taking his gun with him.  
“Kindly move over and prepare to drive,” came his gruff voice.  
Taylor grit his teeth as he wondered exactly how he was supposed to change gears and steer at the same time, before he did as asked.  
“Pull forward,” Bernard instructed, moving to sit behind Taylor before reaching around to operate the gear stick himself.  
His other hand held the gun just behind Taylor’s throat.  
Taylor carefully accelerated, pulling forward only a few metres before a call over a megaphone made him jump and stop.  
“Stop the car and put your hands where I can see them!”  
Taylor gulped, trying not to panic.  
“What should I do?” he asked carefully.  
“What he says,” Bernard replied calmly.  
Taylor waited until the car stopped, before raising his hands. There was silence for a time as the police began to get an idea of what they were dealing with.  
“Step out of the car,” barked the next order.  
“Slowly,” Bernard cautioned, “open the door and step out. I’ll follow you.”  
Taylor nodded, before lowering his hands to the door handle and opening it. He felt Bernard moving behind him, quickly opening his own door. As Taylor stepped out, he could feel the gun against his neck once again as Bernard quickly closed the back door and pulled Taylor closer to him.  
“Lower your weapon,” barked another command.  
“If you don’t back off, I will waste him!” Bernard called out, prompting Taylor to close his eyes.  
It was barely a moment later that they heard more vehicles coming down the road. Another patrol car and a truck skidded to a halt behind them, and the officers and another man appeared. The officers immediately drew their weapons while the man stood gob smacked.  
“TAY?!”  
His head snapped around, and his eyes widened.  
“Ike?” he gasped, before he felt Bernard squeeze his arm tighter and jumped.  
“One of the ones you were camping with?” he whispered into his ear menacingly.  
“My other brother,” Taylor stuttered, his eyes starting to tear up from everything.  
“We’ll ask you again. Please, lower your weapon. Or we may open fire.”  
Taylor’s eyes widened again.  
“NO!” Isaac yelled, “Don’t you dare!”  
“Keep back!” one of the officers ordered, edging his way toward Isaac just in case.  
Taylor looked to the police forming the barricade between them and the border. From what he could tell they all looked very determined to bring Bernard down, at whatever cost. He turned to look at Isaac again and gulped.


	34. 34

Zac had only had the television turned on for moments before the newscast came on. The view was from a helicopter circling above the Oklahoma/Missouri state border, where multiple patrol cars had circled a blue truck and a red hatchback. Two figures stood alone by the red car, and Zac knew instinctively who they were.  
“Tay?” he choked out, trying to sit up.  
He cringed as he moved, soon opting to stay down. He grabbed for the remote and turned the volume up as far as he could.  
“…At the Missouri border twenty minutes ago. We are broadcasting live as the scene unfolds here where escapee Bernard Holmes appears to have taken musician and family man Taylor Hanson as his hostage in an effort to flee Oklahoma…”  
Zac squinted a little as he registered the blue truck suddenly and the person standing by it.  
“Ike?” he frowned, wishing he had a button that could zoom in.  
He watched like a hawk as conversation seemed to drift between the man that had shot him and the police officers. He barely noticed a nurse walk into the room.  
“Mr Hanson, could you turn that down please?” she asked.  
“Nope,” Zac replied simply, eyes not leaving the screen.  
“Really, you’re disturbing some of-“  
“I don’t care!” Zac exclaimed, “those are my brothers!”

*

Isaac didn’t like what he was hearing over his shoulder, but he couldn’t say anything in case Bernard overheard.  
“Tay? Tay! Look at me!” he said loud enough for his brother to hear.  
Taylor managed to pull his gaze from the border patrol long enough to lock eyes with his brother.  
‘Brace yourself,’ Isaac mouthed.  
Taylor frowned, not getting the connotation.  
“Slowly,” he tensed as the words left Bernard’s mouth, “no sudden movements, get back in the car.”  
Isaac was shaking his head, close enough to hear both sides. Taylor looked to him helplessly as Bernard grabbed the back of his jacket in his fist.  
“And don’t try me.”  
Taylor took a step back as Bernard pulled him, opening the driver’s door for him before opening the back door and getting in himself. Taylor was tempted to make a run for it, but could still feel the gun on his back. He gave Isaac one last look before getting back into the car. The police continued to bark orders that were ignored.  
“We can’t get through,” Taylor suddenly found his voice.  
“We will,” Bernard promised.  
Isaac put his hands on his head, starting to panic.  
“You can’t let them leave!” he turned to the officers behind him.  
“We won’t be,” one of them assured, “one way or another.”  
Isaac tried not to contemplate what that meant, as he kept his eye on what he could see of Taylor’s head.  
“Pull forward,” Bernard instructed.  
Taylor closed his eyes for a moment before starting the car again. Bernard put it into gear for him before he began to inch forward, eyes firmly planted on the officers up ahead.


	35. 35

“We can’t fit through, the car isn’t strong enough,” Taylor tried to reason, focusing on where two patrol car noses were blocking the road.  
“Then you’ll just have to pick up the pace, won’t you?” Bernard responded condescendingly.  
Taylor closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to psych himself up for what he knew it was going to take. When his eyes opened again, they were filled with a renewed vigor. He checked where Bernard’s hand was once again on the gear stick, before flooring the accelerator.  
“TAY?!” Ike yelled when he saw what he was doing.  
If the car broke through the two patrol units, he was sure he’d never see his brother again.  
“GET DOWN!” came the order from one of the patrolmen as the two beside their cars ducked off to the side.  
Isaac hit his hands and knees, obliviously scraping his skin on the bitumen.  
“DON’T SHOOT!” he yelled desperately.  
Taylor heard nothing as he closed in on the cars, judging his distance as best as he could as the adrenaline coursed through him. He ignored Bernard muttering calculations to himself, and at the very last moment spun the steering wheel to the left.  
Bernard didn’t have time to react as the car side swiped one of the patrol cars, shattering the windows down the right side. Not having hold of anything but the gun and the gear stick he fell down onto his side on the back seat, and the moment he had Taylor had opened his door and fallen out to the ground.  
The moment his door had opened Isaac darted forward. Once Taylor hit the ground he managed to scramble to his feet just as the back door also opened and Bernard struggled to get out. Taylor took off at a run, immediately hearing footsteps behind him.  
“IKE?” he yelled, a moment before multiple gunshots rang out.

*

“What the?!”  
The nurse put the remote down on a nearby table, just out of Zac’s reach.  
“If you can’t turn it down, then you won’t have it on at all,” she said decidedly.  
Zac looked between her and the dark screen in shock.  
“Do you have any idea what was happening?!” he asked incredulously, “my brother was taken hostage by an escaped murderer. They were broadcasting live! I need to know what’s happening!”  
“You need to calm down,” the nurse instructed as she saw him trying to sit up.  
One of the machines started to beep ominously.  
“Turn it back on!” Zac insisted, starting to pant a little.  
“Calm down, Sir. You’re in no state to be working yourself up. You need to concentrate on-“  
“I need to see my brothers, is what I need,” Zac looked up at her pleadingly, pain evident in his eyes.  
The nurse was busily checking his screens, and he barely noticed that he was beginning to feel faint. A moment later his eyes had rolled to the back of his head, and he was out.  
The nurse hit the emergency button and screamed for assistance.  
“We have a possible pneumothorax on the collapsed lung,” she informed the newcomers, “we’ll need immediate removal and drainage measures before he suffocates.”  
The doctors and nurses rushed around him, Zac suddenly opening his eyes again for a moment. All he could make out was that he was having trouble breathing again, before an oxygen mask was put over his face and he passed out a second time.


	36. 36

Isaac pulled the frozen Taylor into his arms, hugging him for all he was worth as they both collapsed to their knees. Time stood still for a moment as lights flashed around them and police officers ran in all directions.  
“It’s over, Tay. It’s over,” he told him as he felt his brother shake.  
Taylor didn’t respond, so Isaac just held him. They had a few moments before an officer stopped by them and put a hand on Taylor’s shoulder.  
“Are you boys alright?” he asked.  
Isaac let Taylor go, seeing for the first time the tears in his eyes.  
“Tay?”  
Taylor just nodded, before looking up at the officer.  
“Hey, you got anything that can get these off?” Isaac asked him, lifting Taylor’s wrist.  
“I’ll find something. Be right back.”  
As he walked away Taylor’s eyes followed, before Isaac took his head in his hands and turned him back to face him.  
“Don’t look that way. You’ve seen enough,” he insisted.  
“Is he…?” Taylor’s voice croaked.  
“He’s gone, Tay,” Isaac assured.  
Taylor closed his eyes in relief, before wiping his eyes clear.  
“Thank you,” he whispered.  
“For what?” Isaac looked confused.  
“For being here,” Taylor’s eyes opened, “it helped.”  
“I dunno, it looked like you had everything under control,” Isaac managed a small smile.  
“I didn’t, until that last moment,” Taylor admitted, “I wasn’t… expecting to make it.”  
“Well I’m glad you did,” Isaac tried not to show how those last words affected him.  
They looked up as the officer returned with a pair of bolt cutters. Taylor held his wrists out so that he could cut the chain of the handcuffs, and as soon as he did he hugged Isaac back for the first time.  
“Thanks,” Isaac looked up.  
“No problem. When you boys are ready we can take you back to the station.”  
“Can we go to the hospital first?” Isaac asked.  
“Zac,” Taylor realised breathlessly.  
The officer nodded, before bending down to get a better look at Taylor.  
“Do you need medical attention? We’d like to have you checked over all the same. And we’ll need your clothes to take into evidence.”  
Taylor considered for a moment and nodded.  
“Can it wait until we get to the hospital?” he asked, “I really need to see my brother.”  
“If you’re okay to wait, we should be too,” the officer smiled, before indicating for Taylor to give him his hand.  
Taylor did so, and the officer worked at getting the cuffs off his wrists. Once they were free Taylor zipped the jacket he wore up further and hugged himself as he stayed kneeling.  
“Are you ready to go?” Isaac asked him.  
Taylor just nodded, before Isaac stood and helped him up. The officer led them to one of the non-damaged patrol cars and opened the back door for them as Isaac skirted his brother around the body on the ground. Taylor gave him a weary glance just as someone covered it with a jacket.


	37. 37

Isaac stopped short in the doorway to what had been Zac’s room. Not only was the room empty, but even the bed was gone.  
“What?” Taylor gave him a glance before looking past.  
“This can’t be good,” Isaac began looking for anyone he recognised.  
He eventually gave up and headed over to the nearest reception desk.  
“Excuse me, but my brother Zac was-“  
“Oh, Isaac?” the lady gave him a questioning look.  
“Yes?”  
Her face fell a little, and she stood from behind the desk to come around to talk to him. Isaac indicated for Taylor to join them in the corner of the small booth.  
“Zac’s back in recovery, I’m afraid.”  
“What do you mean ‘back’? He was out yesterday,” Isaac was confused as Taylor’s eyes darted between them.  
“There were some complications,” she eyed Taylor.  
“He’s our brother,” Isaac quickly brushed over, “what happened? Is he okay?”  
“He’ll be fine,” the nurse nodded, “but he’s going to need a lung transplant.”  
Taylor stepped aside, his hands on his head in shock.  
“I thought the surgery went fine. He was fine when I spoke to him last!” Isaac exclaimed.  
“We thought he was,” the nurse lowered her voice, “I shouldn’t tell you this, but he saw the news broadcast. We think it got him so worked up that he caused himself more damage internally…”  
“You’ve gotta be kidding,” Taylor shook his head.  
“Afraid I’m not. He needs to stay on oxygen for the foreseeable at this stage, but you should be able to see him within a couple of hours if you’d like to hang around.”  
Isaac looked to Taylor for confirmation, who nodded.  
“I’ll let you know anything as soon as I do,” she promised before stepping back into her office.  
“Thanks, we appreciate it,” Isaac insisted, before turning back to Taylor, “you should get checked over while we’re waiting.”  
Taylor gave him a glance, but nodded. They began to head back to the main entrance where their police escort had been waiting patiently. From there, Taylor was taken aside and physically checked over before having to hand over the clothes he’d been given during the ordeal. A nurse offered him a set of scrubs as opposed to a hospital gown to compensate before attending to the minor cuts and scrapes over his body and the larger knife wounds down his leg.  
It was over an hour later before he returned to Isaac.  
“Guess we’d better get you some clothes,” he realised.  
“Yeah,” Taylor scratched his head absently, “but right now? Not such a priority.”  
“I get it,” Isaac nodded, as they began to make their way back to Zac’s room.  
There was no further word on Zac waking up by the time they got back, so they took a seat in the corridor.  
“Has anyone asked for your statement yet?” Isaac looked across at Taylor.  
“Not yet,” he sighed, then smirked, “I don’t think I’d know where to start.”  
Isaac was about to agree with him when they heard a gurney being wheeled down the hall. Isaac jumped to his feet to check, before coming back to Taylor.  
“It’s him,” he nodded.


	38. 38

Taylor jumped up and they waited until the nurses had settled Zac’s bed back into his room before they stepped inside themselves.  
“He’ll be awake any moment now,” one of them told Isaac on her way out.  
“Thanks,” he nodded, before pulling a chair up beside the bed.  
Taylor walked around the other side, a hand covering his mouth as he looked his younger brother over.  
“He wasn’t this bad when I saw him last,” Isaac shook his head, “he was actually… demanding that I go and find you, and insisting that he was fine.”  
“Maybe you shouldn’t have,” Taylor absently bit at his nails.  
“No,” Isaac shook his head, “I had to. I just needed him to tell me that.”  
They stood in silence for a time before a grunt escaped Zac’s lips. Taylor darted to the bedside as Isaac took Zac’s hand in his.  
“Zac?” he asked carefully.  
“What?” Zac grunted, making Taylor smile with relief.  
His eyelids fluttered, before he blinked solidly while his eyes adjusted to the light. Isaac waited until he was sure he was awake.  
“Taylor’s here,” he smiled.  
Zac’s eyes shot open, and they fell on Taylor instantly. He leant forward and took his younger brother’s hand, squeezing it gently.  
“Hey,” he said softly.  
“About time you got back,” Zac croaked.  
“Sorry I took so long,” Taylor mused, “but you didn’t have to go and do this to yourself.”  
“I was just tired of you getting all the attention.”  
Isaac held back a chuckle at his brothers’ banter.  
“So what happened?” Zac asked, sparing Isaac a glance.  
“What did you see?” Taylor asked.  
“Yeah, we heard you saw the news,” Isaac said pointedly.  
Zac groaned a little.  
“I saw the car take off,” he licked his lips, “like it was going to ram into the cops, then Nurse Ratchet turned the TV off.”  
Taylor gave Isaac a glance.  
“They got him,” Isaac offered, “with a bit of help from Tay.”  
“I might have crashed the car,” Taylor shrugged, “and when he got out to chase me, they shot him.”  
Zac closed his eyes with a sigh.  
“Awesome,” he murmured, “case closed.”  
“I guess,” Taylor looked across at Isaac again.  
“Do you know what happened to you?” Isaac asked.  
“I woke up in the theatre, they told me,” Zac breathed in suddenly, wincing as it couldn’t be as deep as he’d consciously wanted, “guess I’m on a waiting list.”  
“We should check on that,” Taylor said, before looking up at the door.  
The officer who’d helped him at the scene was standing there.  
“Mr Hanson? We’re going to need your statement,” he said softly.  
“Okay,” Taylor nodded, before making sure Zac was alright and then making to leave the room.


End file.
